Thieves Getting Bold: Thief caught on camera after break-in at gated community (BR)

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BATON ROUGE - Homeowners in Baton Rouge caught video of a bold thief casing their residence with security cameras in plain sight.

Angela Allen's home security camera caught the suspect in the act.

"We got all our high definition camera and we assumed that we would be safe," Allen said.

Allen lives in the University Villas, a gated community in south Baton Rouge where she felt she would be safe. But her recent security video has her and her family feeling disturbed.

Austin Kidder, one of Allen's relatives, said he was horrified when he saw the thief retrieve a gun from his car just outside of the home.

"It was scary, especially the footage we got... Who knows what he was planning."

Thanks to security cameras all throughout the area, the suspect's car was also caught on camera. However the thief's license plate was removed, making the search all the more difficult.

The crimes started about month ago with a series of car burglaries, but Allen said things soon escalated when a home was broken into.

Being a gated community is one reason why some of the residents bought homes in University Villas. But the gates and security cameras do little to ease the minds of residents after seeing this footage.

"We thought is would provide a measure of security, but we're not so sure any more," Allen said.

The residents have now posted pictures of the suspect throughout the neighborhood and are holding a community meeting with police.

Both are steps toward catching a thief who doesn't mind having his picture taken.

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